Volcano on Indonesian island of Bali hurls out ash and lava
Fire is seen on the slopes of Mount Agung volcano following an eruption, as seen from Amed in Karangasem Regency, Bali, Indonesia July 3, 2018. REUTERS/Johannes P. Christo
DENPASAR, Indonesia (Reuters) - A volcano on the Indonesian holiday island of Bali erupted late on Monday, hurling lava and ash kilometers into the air and prompting panicked residents to flee their homes. Mount Agung in northeast Bali has been rumbling since late last year and on Friday there was a temporary closure of the island's international airport, disrupting flights and stranding thousands of travelers.
Indonesia's national disaster mitigation agency said residents heard a loud explosion and saw flaming volcanic rocks thrown at least 2 km (1.2 miles) out of the crater. The eruption lasted for about seven minutes and photographs posted by the agency showed glowing lava streaming from the crater, setting fire to vegetation. "Residents have started evacuating voluntarily,” said Sutopo Nugroho, a spokesman for the agency, adding the airport remained operational and there was no change in the volcano's alert status.The last time Agung staged a major eruption was in 1963, when more than 1,000 people died and several villages on its slopes were razed.
The airport on Bali reopened on Friday after ash had forced a brief closure and the cancellation of more than 300 flights.
Mount Agung volcano erupts during the night, as seen from Bugbug village in Karangasem regency in Bali, Indonesia, July 2, 2018. Picture taken July 2, 2018. Andre Ardiansyah/Handout via REUTERS
(Reporting by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Ed Davies and Andrew Roche)
Villagers take care of their children at a shelter following a Mount Agung volcano eruption in Karangasem, Bali, Indonesia, July 3, 2018. Antara Foto/Nyoman Budhiana/ via REUTERS Evacuated villagers wait at a shelter after a Mount Agung volcano eruption at Pesangkan village in Karangasem Regency, Bali, Indonesia on July 3, 2018. REUTERS/Johannes P. ChristoFire is seen on the slopes of Mount Agung volcano following an eruption as seen from Amed in Karangasem Regency, Bali, Indonesia July 3, 2018. REUTERS/Johannes P. ChristoMount Agung volcano erupts in Bali, Indonesia, July 2, 2018 photo obtained from social media. Fire is seen on the slopes of Mount Agung volcano following an eruption as seen from Amed in Karangasem Regency, Bali, Indonesia July 3, 2018. REUTERS/Johannes P. ChristoFire is seen on the slopes of Mount Agung volcano following an eruption as seen from Amed in Karangasem Regency, Bali, Indonesia July 3, 2018. REUTERS/Johannes P. Christo
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